Through the Fire and Flames
by FiniteSky07
Summary: As he laid in the midst of his own blood, he couldn't help but think it was all Max's fault.
1. His Crimson Feathers

**This story is undergoing a serious edit. (Previously known as Blood Soaked Wings) Sorry for those who were following Blood Soaked Wings before, but this is necessary. It may not be apparent in the first few chapters, but I'm changing a LOT. **

**Disclaimer: I disclaim all characters that are obviously not mine.**

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><p>Iggy laid on the forest floor amidst a puddle of blood oozing out from his side, his wings laying lifeless around him and his feathers violently ripped out. His breath came in short gasps as he attempted to hang on to what little life he had left. His hand was soaked with blood from his failed attempt at keeping the gaping wound closed, and his thoughts were becoming more and more hazy.<p>

His pale feathers were strewn across the forest floor, some laying on top of him and others floating in his blood. He was shaking and sweating, and he felt broken bones in various places of his body. He couldn't even move his wings, not even a twitch.

He was stupid. He was ignorant. He should have known that going for a midnight flight by himself was a terrible idea, but he wasn't exactly thinking at the time. He had gotten into a fight Max, and he was so irritated, so pissed off, that he flew off without warning.

What were they fighting about, you might ask?

See, the flock was staying at Dr. Martinez's house for the time being, and the Voice started speaking to Max again after being silent for the past few weeks. It spouted something about a great evil lurking around the corner, so she should head to some Institute in North Carolina to prevent this "great evil" from leaking into the world.

Max told Iggy to stay and watch the kids, the same responsibility he was _always _given.

To be clear, Iggy has nothing against the kids. In fact, he might even go so far to say that he enjoyed it since it gave Iggy and Gasman time to plot the next best explosive device without fear of Max's impending wrath.

Despite that, it always annoyed him that he was supposed to sit back and let Max and Fang handle everything by themselves. He never admitted it aloud before, but he knew she was just using the kids as an excuse.

Max considers Iggy a handicap because he was blind, that much was made very clear. She believed that he would merely get in the way if he tried to assist her in this whole "saving the world" nonsense she kept spewing. He was constantly treated like one of the kids because of his blindness, something he had no control over.

He couldn't freaking see, so what use could he possibly be to the invincible Maximum Ride? None: he was useless. That was what she wanted him to believe, in any case.

And it pissed him off every single time.

_"That fact is, you're blind, and while you're a great flier around here where you know everything, I can't be worrying about you in the middle of a firefight with the Erasers."_

Way back when Angel was kidnapped, that was what Max said to him after she asserted he was supposed to stay home and "hold the fort." She hadn't changed in the slightest since then.

Had she forgotten the fact that his hearing is far more sensitive than any of the others'? That his sense of touch is highly sensitive as well? How many times had he cooked for the flock when there was almost nothing to eat? How many times had he checked to make sure everyone was safe when her back was turned? How many times had he stayed up until dawn and taken over her watch so that she could get some rest for once?

Too many to count.

And who saved her sorry ass when she was captured by the School? Iggy and the Gasman, that was who.

Remember what happened when Max told Iggy and Gasman to stay home when Angel was kidnapped? Bloodthirsty Erasers came after them, and whose bomb saved them?

That's right, theirs. They would have been wolf food if it wasn't for Big Boy. She didn't even seem to care that they were going to die if they hadn't set off that bomb. They had just escaped a near death experience, and the only thing she could think about was _Those idiots set off a bomb._

Of course she took all those things for granted. Of course she was oblivious to what Iggy's done for the flock because he was not Fang. And since he was not Fang, whatever he does gets overlooked unless it was something Max considered to be trouble.

She didn't even stop to think about what Iggy may be feeling, but she always stopped to think about what Fang is feeling.

Fang is the one she trusted, the only one she counted on if something went wrong, the one she cared about the most. It had always been Fang. If she was in trouble, she shouted out to Fang to help, not the blind guy.

Iggy envied him, he really did, and Fang wasn't even aware of it. She saw him as an equal, and Iggy would give anything to be treated as an equivalent, not just the blind kid. He wanted to feel like he was needed and just as much a part of the flock as the rest. Just once he would have liked to hear, "Iggy, we need your help," instead of, "Iggy, you blockhead!"

Iggy was finding it increasingly more difficult to breathe, and as he tried to push himself off the ground, he found no strength left in his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying for a miracle that his wound would stop bleeding, if just for a moment. He felt blood caked in his hair, and his bangs stuck to his face with sweat.

He coughed slightly, tasting the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He knew he was dying, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it, but the only emotion he felt was anger. He was angry at himself for getting so worked up in the first place, he was angry at Fang for making him so envious, but most of all, he was angry at Max for being so oblivious.

This was all her fault, after all. If she had stopped to think about his feelings just once, then maybe all of this wouldn't have happened. Maybe he would be back at the Martinez's house, watching the kids and creating another bomb with Gasman without incident.

Those days were over now. He lost too much blood, there was no way he would live to see another day. Iggy would never see their faces again, and he would never have the joy of setting off another bomb. He loved the way explosions sounded.

A lone tear ran down Iggy's cheek as he continued to lay in his own pool of blood. That Eraser was the most sadistic one he had met thus far, enjoying every slash he made with his claws as though it were earning him cash. The glee, the pure enjoyment in his eyes was sickening.

Of course Iggy fought back, but that was hard when there was huge gaping wound in your side. He was caught off guard, too immersed in his own thoughts to pick up the sound of an enclosing enemy.

Before the Eraser left, he made sure to pull out as many feathers as he possibly could before tossing them over Iggy as though they were confetti. Iggy's cries of pain only brought a bigger grin to the sadist's face.

_It's all your damn fault, Max..._

He was too weak to even think anymore. His mind went blank then, and his breathing was too shallow to even recognize. Was his heart even still beating?

Then, in the midst of his own pool of blood, Iggy let a small, bitter smile slip on his face as he drew his final breath. It would only be a matter of time until another Eraser picked up the scent of his blood and disposed of his body.

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><p><em>Next chapter will be posted soon. Stay tuned.<em>


	2. Blood Of His Disappearance

"Where _is_ he? It's not like him to just disappear," Max said as she paced back and forth in the kitchen, anxiously pulling out strands of her brown hair. Fang was calmly leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, silently regarding Max with his dark eyes. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and Iggy had flown off in an angry rampage around one o'clock that morning.

"I swear if something happened to that idiot, I'm going to kick his ass so hard..." Max muttered, trailing off as she shook her head. She turned her brown eyes to the ceiling, still pacing and seeming to plot ways to murder him in his sleep for making her worry.

"Iggy can take care of himself," Fang stated quietly, causing Max to stop pacing and cross her arms.

Making a sound of frustration, she placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at Fang, "Iggy doesn't just disappear, Fang. You know this. He would never do that." She started to pace again, biting her lip with each step she took.

"If I were him, I'd be pretty pissed too," Fang said in a simple tone. The way he said it was so calm, so casual, that Max stopped in her tracks and snapped her head at him, her eyes filled with mild confusion as well as annoyance.

"Excuse me?" Max demanded, her voice indignant and her eyes widening slight fraction. "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

With a small sigh, Fang uncrossed his arms and leaned his elbows back on the counter. "You really are 'Max the Happily Oblivious.'"

Max clenched her fists at her side, storming over to Fang and muttering, "Listen here, you. I-"

"Max, where's Iggy?" Nudge's voice interrupted, the sudden sound causing Max to straighten herself and turn to Nudge with her self appointed leader face.

Nudge was carrying several empty bags of popcorn into the kitchen, glancing back and forth between Max and Fang as she wandered to the trash bin. "Because I haven't seen him all day. He wasn't even here for breakfast." She threw away her trash and turned back to Max, tilting her head to the side. "Do you have any idea where he went? Gasman kept asking for him before he fell asleep, so they probably have plans to make another bomb but-"

"Iggy just went for a short flight, that's all," Max lied, plastering a small fake smile on her face as she waved her hands about in a calming motion. "He'll be back soon."

She heard Fang's almost silent sigh, so she whacked him on the shoulder without a second thought. She didn't even try to be subtle about it.

Nudge nodded, seeming to believe the lie. "Oh, okay. Well, Ella wants to watch another movie, so I'm going back downstairs. Did you know we went through four movies already? Those things are addicting." With a grin, she turned around and disappeared through the doorway, Max's tense stance relaxing a little once she heard the basement door close.

"You can't lie to them," Fang said, crossing his arms again. He was watching her with whatever emotion he had in his eyes masked, his dark hair falling into his face again, effectively hiding those dark eyes of his.

"Obviously, I can. They don't need to know he's missing. Not yet, at least." She ran a hand through her hair again before stating in a definite tone, "We're going to look for him." She started to head for the front door without bothering to wait for Fang.

She made it to the front porch when she heard Fang's soft voice behind her say, "You realize Iggy isn't a child, right? He doesn't need babysitting." Suddenly hearing his voice so close made her flinch and she resisted the urge to whack him upside the head.

Grinding her teeth, Max whirled around to face Fang, who's eyes were filled with slight agitation. It was hardly noticeable but it was still there, small as it may be. "I understand that he has great hearing, and I know he's not stupid, but that doesn't change the fact that he's _blind._"

"Do you even hear what you're saying?"

Max glared with the force of the sun before rubbing her forehead, clenching her jaw tight. "Do _you _hear what you're saying? He's been gone for thirteen hours, Fang. Thirteen hours! He doesn't do things like that and you know it. And you think I'm just going to sit here and do nothing?" She let out a humorless laugh before she continued. "I'll be **damned **before anything happens to one of you ever again, you understand?"

Turning around sharply so that her back was facing Fang, she crossed her arms and breathed, "I can't lose you guys." As soon as she said it, she mentally slapped herself for slipping out something so cheesy. She tensed, bracing herself for the mockery she would no doubt receive.

Fang was silent for long moment, and Max almost thought he walked away until he heard him ask, "So, where do we look for him?"

Max thought for a minute as she visibly relaxed her shoulders, the exchange between them forgotten for the moment. "North. We'll go north first."

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Two hours later, Max and Fang had found no sign of Iggy anywhere. Right now, they were flying over a forest not too far from her mom's house, and she was hoping to find anything relating to Iggy. A footprint, a feather, anything would do. It was as if he just vanished off the face of the earth, something Max didn't even want to think about.

Max was flying along side Fang, both of them carefully scanning the ground below them without exchanging any words. The silence was tense between them, so thick you could practically feel it in the air. The sun was warm and bright overhead, but even that warmth did nothing to comfort the knots of worry Max had in her stomach.

The two of them started out going north, just as Max suggested, but when they couldn't find any clues regarding Iggy's whereabouts, they decided to try going east. And if they didn't find him in that direction, then they would head south before continuing to switch directions in a clockwise motion.

_When I find you, your skinny ass is being kicked straight into the next century. You can count on that, Iggy, _Max thought with a glare, her eyes glued to the moving scenery below.

Just then, Fang stopped in mid air on a dime, causing Max to slow down to a stop, looking back at him as she flapped her wings slowly to keep herself hovering. Fang's dark eyes were widened a fraction, his gaze focused on the foliage below him.

"Fang?" Max asked, following his line of sight to the forest floor. As her eyes found what he was staring at, her breath caught in her throat. She dove to the ground quicker than she could have imagined, her hands starting to shake as the feeling of dread struck her like a ton of bricks.

She nearly screamed at the sight, her alarmed eyes taking in the sight of blood soaked feathers as she nearly made a crash landing. She didn't bother being graceful, and she almost lost her footing, but lucky for her, Fang was there to steady her with his hands before she fell on her ass.

Max glanced up at Fang, who seemed to be at a loss for words. It wasn't unusual for him to be silent, but there was no trace of his characteristic smirk, and no sign of comfort on his face. Instead, his eyes were tinted with fear as he lightly bit his lip, not once tearing his gaze from what laid in front of them.

The large puddle of blood sat in front of them with once white feathers soaked a crimson color, the wind picking up and whisking a few away. She crouched down next to the blood, placing a shaking hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with distress, and she found her lungs tightening, making it difficult to breathe.

Fang put a hand on Max's shoulder, and Max felt the muscles in his hand tightening, gripping her shoulder firmly. He was trying to keep it together, she thought as another stained white feather was blown away with the wind.

They were Iggy's feathers, there was no denying that, and she noticed the indentation on the grass from where Iggy no doubt laid. He had been there, and it was clear he was there just recently. How recently, though, she couldn't say. Max didn't even want to imagine what could have happened to cause such an agonizing spectacle.

All she could think about was that he was gone. There was no sign of his body, save for his remaining blood soaked feathers floating in the crimson pool.

_And you didn't even try to stop him, _a taunting voice echoed the back of her head.

Fang's back stiffened as he snapped his head to his right, nudging Max lightly. "Someone's watching us," he said, his voice almost inaudible.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Max met foreign silver eyes hiding behind one of the trees. They turned black all of a sudden, and Max found herself hitting the ground before she even registered what was happening.

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><p><em>Yeah, I know, I'm horrible. But some things came up and then I had writer's block. But I'm working on the next chapter as we speak and will hopefully be up before the end of the week.<em>

**_Please review!_**


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